What is causing traffic chaos is not the “mallification” of Queens, it is increased density. And with the title, you seem to be making the NIMBY argument against it. You might as well say concentrating all those office jobs in Manhattan caused traffic chaos, because some people drive there despite having alternatives.

There has been a huge expansion of retail on one place, and that made jobs and services accessible to those arriving by transit. Some people travel by car, but before, as the article says, those same people would have driven to Nassau County. The city would lose tax revenues; the city workers had a long commute on suburban buses or were on welfare.

If current trends are allowed to move forward, I can envison even more commercial activity there 20 years from now, perhaps built on parking lots that are only partially replaced by garages. This is the emergence of a new “downtown.” And it is an evolution that any such “new downtown” will have to pass through, first attracting drivers, then being attractive enough that people will go there without driving.

http://www.livablestreets.com/people/Eric Eric McClure

Marty Golden, Atlantic Yards superfan, STFU.

TKO

Do I detect a touch of jealousy regarding the Bike Snob?

Omri

I liked Bike Snob’s early work, before he sold out.

Shemp

I love the WFP WTF ads. The MTA has gone through this a bunch of times, rejecting critical ads by transit groups and enviros. What always happens is that rejection earns the public campaign a lot of free press, then the MTA loses the 1st Amendment lawsuit (even more publicity for the campaign) and as part of the loss has to give the campaign group a bunch of free ad space. You’d think the MTA would learn but…(or in this case maybe they are smarter than I give them credit for).

http://www.livablestreets.com/people/capntransit Cap’n Transit

The WTF ads would be great if they focused attention where it was really needed, like the State Legislature. Many of the anti-transit legislators (Monserrate, Smith, Parker, Klein, Hassell-Thompson) ran on the WFP line in 2008, so the WFP would basically have to admit that they screwed up … and not endorse them this year.

http://www.livablestreets.com/people/ddartley ddartley

In another show of odd priorities, WFP is now running a campaign asking people to sign a petition to the MTA demanding that the MTA allow the WTF ads.

http://www.livablestreets.com/people/mork J. Mork

Content aside, the MTA is never, ever going to accept an ad that looks just like an official MTA poster. Duh.